The Brewton-Parker College men’s basketball team hosted the 12th ranked team in the nation, Lee University, before a raucous homecoming crowd in the Gillis Gymnasium on Saturday in Mount Vernon. The Barons doused the highly rated Flames squad 71-64 in overtime to claim one of the biggest wins in the school's NAIA history. The victory was the second consecutive SSAC win for the Barons and moves them into solid contention to make the conference playoffs.

In a battle of two completely different halves, the Flames controlled the first 20 minutes and managed a 29-20 advantage. The Barons regained their confidence early in the second half and out-scored Lee 29-20. In overtime, Brewton-Parker took command early and handed the Flames a major conference defeat.

The game was the third contest of the week and fifth in 11 days for Coach John D. Jones' team.

“We have not had a day off in 12 days, and I wasn't sure where our energy level would be. But we showed tremendous heart and resiliency when it mattered most,” said Jones. “I'm very happy for our seniors.”

Baron Ryan Moore (11), a 5’9”senior from LaGrange, Ga., reaches for a two-pointer during the Feb. 13 game against Lee University.

Brewton-Parker has experienced a dramatic turnaround since a slow start earlier in the season. The win improved the Barons conference slate to 7-8 on the year—good enough for sixth place in the SSAC standings. Lee falls to 11-4, two games behind conference-leading Auburn-Montgomery. The top eight teams earn a bid to the conference tournament in March.

The game was tied at 46 in the final minutes of regulation when Lee's Paco Diaw drove the lane and had his shot blocked by Maurice Veal. But a foul was called on the play and Diaw sank one of two free throws to give Lee a slim 47-46 margin with less than a minute remaining. With the shot-clock ticking down, Jurbien Byrd (1) sank a long 3-pointer from near the top of the key to give the Barons a stunning 49-47 lead.

After a Lee timeout, the Flames quickly came down the court and Paco Diaw drove for the basket and fired up a shot that missed. However, Harold Griffin was there for the tip-in which tied the game with 1.4 seconds remaining. Brewton-Parker was able to inbound the ball the length of the floor and get a clean look for Nathan Greene (22), but the potential game-winning shot was long.

The overtime, however, was all Brewton-Parker. The Barons immediately took control and walked away with the victory much to the delight of a large homecoming crowd.

The Barons were significantly better in two key areas, rebounding and taking care of the basketball. Lee turned the basketball over 28 times to just 11 for Brewton-Parker. Lee also saw the Barons grab 23 offensive rebounds to just 13 for the Flames.

"Coach challenged us to focus on executing our defensive game plan and rebounding, and the offense would come off our defense," said Byrd, who was one of four seniors honored on Senior Day. "We haven't beat Lee since I've been here, so this is a great way to go out."

Brewton-Parker finally found their shooting touch during the second half. On the day, the Barons fired up 34 treys against the Flames and found a way to convert nine of those attempts. All but two came during the second-half comeback.

In fact, it was a pair of reserves, Greene and Quintereal Kelley (20), who sparked the Barons uprising. Greene, who is one of the top 3-point shooters in the nation, came off the bench early in the second half and nailed a pair of treys, while Kelley followed with one of his own to help get the crowd and the Barons back in the game. Kelley finished with 10 points and Brandon Barron (3) sank important free-throws in overtime to insure the victory.

Lee found points hard to come by, as the Barons stifling defense forced 28 turnovers and limited the Flames to 36 percent shooting from the field. Stephen McClellan paced Lee’s scoring with 14 points, while Elmar Kuli-Zade had 13 points. No other Lee player reached double-figures in scoring.

In addition to Kelley, the Barons were led by Byrd with a game-high 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals. Point guard Barron contributed 13 points, 5 assists, and 4 steals; while seniors Maurice Veal (44) (5 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks) and Ryan Moore (11) (4 points and 2 assists) were also instrumental in the win.

Brewton-Parker College is back in action when they travel to Montgomery, Ala., for a game at Faulkner University on Thursday, February 19. Game time is at 7 p.m. central time.

Brewton-Parker College | Located on U.S. 280 at 201 David-Eliza Fountain Circle, P. O. Box 197, Mount Vernon, GA 30445
with a site in Newnan
912-583-2241, 1-800-342-1087Get directions to the main campus.Contact Technology Services if you have any comments, questions or issues.

The mission of Brewton-Parker College, a Georgia Baptist college, is to develop the whole student through the application of Biblically-centered truth to a liberal arts curriculum in a community of shared Christian values.